392 Saddle and Sirloin. 



While the ring were settling on one course there were 

 rumours of a fight. Books were shut up instantly 

 and away they rushed. The gallant owner of Tim 

 Whiffler made a Jack Macdonald of himself in an in- 

 stant, and brought his man up to the scratch without 

 ever taking his cigar out of his mouth. As he after- 

 wards observed, " it was a most cheerful fight." And 

 indeed it was a big man and a little man a pair of 

 spectacles permanently disabled a pair of arms in a 

 white paletot and going like a windmill a white hat 

 rolling on the sod. So it was in old days, but we have 

 to tell of '69. 



The morning finds us at Lynn's once more, and the 

 cards of the day show that Master M'Grath has been 

 drawn with Borealis. The latter has been winning a 

 good stake at Lytham, but " the talent" have taken 

 her measure well, as 25 to one can be "got about her 

 for the Cup, and it is only 6 to I against the black." 

 All is life and activity among the coursers. They are 

 buttoning on leggings, and lighting pipes, and driving 

 bargains with Hansoms and coaches, into which they 

 mount, looking like very jolly Cromwellian pike-men, 

 with their long mahogany-coloured leaping poles. 

 The route lies principally by the dock side, and its 

 dusky forest of masts, till we strike rather more in- 

 land at Formby, where the greyhound trainers keep 

 their charges. Seven or eight miles- bring us within 

 sight of the Altcar plains at last. On the left are in- 

 terminable sand banks, tenanted by coneys and vitriol 

 works ; while ditches of all degrees, high mounds, and 

 engine houses help to break the dreary Altcar dead 

 level of grass and fallows, which look as if they had 

 merely been pared. Be that as it may, they are full 

 of " fur," and during one portion of the meeting, Hard 

 Lines got among a wandering troop of nearly a hun- 

 dred hares, and didn't know what it meant. There 

 are a few trees, and there is a conventicle-looking 

 church in the distance, but even when the sun is out, 



